Holly is located on the western border of
Oakland County. Its first settler was Nathan Herrick who came to the
area in 1830. In 1843, a sawmill was built by Ira C. Alger, and the area
was then referred to as Algerville, with Alger taking on the duty of
station agent when the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad came through. Around
the same time, a Peter Fagan registered a post office under the name of
Holly Mills, with reference to the abundant holly that grew in the area.
The post office was renamed Holly in 1861, along with the help of
another settler, Jonathan T. Allen, who moved there from Mount Holly, N.
J. It eventually incorporated into a village in 1865.

This community has worked hard to retain its traditional, Victorian
brick architecture in the downtown area, and it is worth a drive to see
it. The narrow streets, old-style lamps, unique shops and the Historic
Holly Hotel make for a delightful visit to yesteryear, whether winter or
summer, rain or shine

Photos courtesy of: Ken Huisjen

If you have comments or suggestions,
please take a minute to write to the
InfoMI Help Desk.